Seat



W. LASCH June 28, 1938.

SEAT

-Filed Nov. 8, 1937 Patented June 28, 1938 UNITED STATES SEAT Werner Lasch, Waldenburg-Dittersbach, Germany Application November 8, 1937, Serial No. 173,474 In Germany February 2, 1936 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a seat formed of skis and ski poles.

It is known to sportsmen practising skiing to construct a rough emergency seat when tired by tying together two skis at their points and using one pole as bracing support to form a tripod and the other one, inserted in the bindings, tosit on. A primitive structure of this type lacks, I however, the necessary stability and rigidity to 1i) form a dependable seat and is not comfortable enough to permit a longer rest. Furthermore, the assembling of such a seat involves much trouble and loss of time and requires also a certain amount of skill and practice to prevent the structure from slipping and collapsing.

To eliminate these defects it has been proposed to combine two parallel and obliquely arranged skis with two carrying and. connecting bars into a structure resembling a stretcher frame and to stretch a web of fabric of the kind used for instance in deck-chairs over a portion of the skis between the bars held by lateral grippers whilst the two poles are secured to the sides of the skis to form feet. This arrangement is, however, open to the objection that it is quite b0thersome,'particularly on uneven ground, to secure sufficient stability of the structure which is supported at four points. Besides, the rigid cross bar holding the lower end of the web interferes with comfortable sitting. Other drawbacks are the bulkiness of the carrying and connecting bars, even if they can be folded, and the difficulty connected with arranging the poles on the skis.

The object of the invention is to provide a seat which is perfectly comfortable and which can bev constructed from two skis and a ski pole with the aid of simple, space-saving means that fit any ski and can be easily handled within a very short time and with very little effort. According to the invention, the two skis are connected by means of pairs of clips attached to the skis near their points and embracing the edges of the skis on both sides with their yokes. Each of the clip members positioned at the ski edges facing each other is provided with holding means for a cross stay serving as distance and holding member for the points of the two skis as well as a support for the upper end of the web of fabric secured below by means of loops pushed over the skis and held by the bindings. In the center of the cross stay a sleeve is arranged for the insertion of the supporting pole. The auxiliary means for constructing the seat comprise only a few parts and are so constructed that they can be conveniently 55 carried in a rucksack or small bag without 00- cupying much space and rendering the load to be carried bulky. With the aid of the connecting members the seat according to the invention can be easily assembled by any person without tools and in a very short time and in such manner that absolute stability of the structure is insured.

As enough room is left between the skis for comfortable reclining and the lower end of the Web of fabric has no hard edge, the new seat affords the same convenience as a reclining chair, particularly in view of the fact that owing to the upward and rearward displacement of the upper supporting points for the web the possibility is afforded of using the upper portion of the web as comfortable inclined back and head rest against which the occupant of the seat may lean at any position of the body, even if for instance the head or back is turned half sideways.

The cross stay has ends of circular cross section and can be loosely connected with corresponding members of the holding means to be freely rotatably arranged on the tripod structure formed. In this way, assembling of the seat is greatly facilitated and it becomes possible also to adjust the ski pole forming the supporting strut of the tripod to any angular position according to the degree of inclination desired by the occupant of the seat. Further adjustability of the seat to personal requirements is insured by rendering the suspension bands adjustable as to length by means of buckles, etc. so as to accurately adjust the web and thereby attain a maximum of comfort.

A particularly simple construction of the clips, which insures rapid handling, consists in connecting both members of a clip by a pin provided with a tensioning means. The pin is movably disposed on the clip member carrying the holder for the cross stay, whilst the other clip member is displaceably guided in the pin by means of a boss.

The rear ends of the skis are preferably provided with loops for the insertion of the second ski pole serving as bearing for the tripod to prevent the rear ends of the skis from sinking too deeply into the snow and from changing their position by spreading apart or drawing together. Furthermore, the use of the second pole imparts still greater stability to the structure.

By way of example, the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the seat ready for occupancy; Fig. 2, a diagrammatic side View of the seat in inclined position; Fig. 3, a detail View on an enlarged scale of an upper fastening for the cross stay and the seat; Fig. 4, a top View of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5, a side view of a rear ski end with loop.

Referring to the drawing, and first to Figs. 1 and 2, the two skis I are arranged upwardly, with their running faces to the rear, together with the pole 2 acting as support to form a tripod-like structure. Theother pole 3 servesas bearing for the structure and for this purpose is inserted in the loops 4 to be secured to the rear ends of the skis I. The'loops are each supported by a closed band portion 4' corresponding in width to that of the lower ski ends and a band portion 4 open on top and extending transversely to the first portion, the band portion 4" and the portion 4' extending at one fastening point into the loop 4. The'loop supports 4', 4" are pushed over the rear ends of the skis I in such manner that the loops. 4 are disposed on the running face of the skis. The loops 4 and their supports 4', 4" are made of strap material, leather belts, steel bands, etc. which are riveted together or otherwise combined into a unitary member.

The skis I are connected at their points by a cross stay 5 which keeps them apart. The stay 5 may be an iron or a light metal tube or consist of pressed artificial material and possesses in its center a sleeve-like projection 6 for the receptionof the upper end of the pole 2 which supports the structure.

The holding and fastening means for the cross stay 5 comprise two tubes or pins 1, I on which the tube 5 having a circular cross section is loosely pushed up to the stop 8. The stay 5 is thus freely rotatably disposed on the structure and permits any inclination of the structure by adjustment of the pole 2, the length of the stay being such that the occupant of the seat has ample shoulder space at any position of the structure.

When the seat is assembled, the pins '1, 'I are arranged on clip members 9, disposed on the inner edges of the skis I, of a pair of clips 9, I9. Each clip comprises two U-shaped straps 9, I0, preferably made of light metal or pressed artificial material, which embrace the longitudinal edges of the skis I on both sides. The yoke of the larger strap 9 on the inner edge of the ski is provided with the pin I Which is welded or soldered thereto or cast on at an angle relative to the strap 9, so that the pin I occupies a horizontal position when the structure is erected and is exactly opposite the attachable pin I on the strap 9 of the other ski.

The smaller clip member I embracing the outer edge of the ski is connected with the member 9 in displaceable manner by means of a pin I I which is rotatably disposed between two bearing flaps I2 on the outer surface of the strap 9 transversely to the running face of the ski. With its free end the pin II passes through a bore of a rib I3 arranged on the outer surface of the smaller strap ID. A larger portion of the free end of the pin II is provided with a thread II on which a thumb-nut I4 is placed. It is evident that by tightening of the nuts I4 the clips 9, I0 can be clamped to the skis: I so as to insure a firm seat or can be opened by unscrewing the nuts to permit forward motion of the smaller straps I0 and detachment of the clips 9, ID from the skis I. I

The clip members 9 or their pins 1 form also the suspension points for the seat I which, according to the invention, is provided with two suspension bands I6, I6 the upwardly guided ends of which are passed in loops around the members I and thus suspended from the holding means of the cross stay 5. The stops 8 prevent accidental lateral slipping of the suspension loops. The bands I6, I6 are adjustable as to length and for this purpose fitted with buckles H or similar adjusting means to which the looped free ends of the bands are secured by sewing or in any other suitable manner.

Instead of being secured to the pins I the suspension bands I 6, It may of course be directly attached to the stay. 5, though in the interest of securing a good hold for the seat I5 it is advisable to place the upper suspension points 'as much as possible toward the outside.

The seat I5 made of a web of fabric, etc. has oblong-rectangular shape. Its lower end is provided with a band terminating in two laterally projecting loops I8 which are slipped over the skis I from below up to the bindings I9 and are held by the latter without any additional fastening means and without any risk of sliding down when the seat I5 is occupied.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the seat fabric I5 forms a rearwardly extending bag when the structure is erected. The lower part of the web I5 is the actual seat whilst the upper portion thereof forms a comfortable soft back and head rest,

so'that practically the whole body of an occupant can conveniently relax on the member I5 between the two skis I. By inclining the pole 2 more or less and adjusting the suspension bands I6 the seat can be put in the particular position desired by its occupant.

In View of the small number of parts the seat can be erected and disassembled in a very short time without any special tools. The cross stay 5, the two pairs of clips 9, I0 and the two loop supports 4, 4', 4" to be arranged on the lower ends of the skis I can be put in the web I5 and with the latter placed in a small bag. This bag with its contents weighs so little that it can be conveniently carried in a rucksack or the usual ski bag, or it may be suspended from the belt by means of loops.

The invention is of course not restricted to the example shown and described from which many deviations are possible within the'scope of the invention. For example, the clips might have a lever closure instead of a screw connection, and the cross stay might be screwed to its supports with the threads on the fastening points arranged so that the stay acts like a turnbuckle.

I claim:-

1. A tripod-like seat structure, comprising two skis obliquely arranged with their running faces to the rear and their points on top, two pairs of clips disposed near the points of the skis and embracing with their members the edges of the skis on'both sides, holding means on the clip members-disposed on the ski edges facing each other, a cross stay supported by said holding means and serving as distance piece for the ski points, a web of fabric to form the seat of the structure, the upper end of said fabric being held by said cross stay, loops slipped from below over the skis and held in position by the ski bindings for supporting the lower end of the fabric, a sleeve in the center of the cross stay and a ski pole inserted in said sleeve and acting as support for the structure.

2. A tripod-like seat structure according to claim 1,wherein the cross stay has ends of circular cross section and companion members. of the holding means are loosely connected with the ends to insure free rotation of the stay.

3. A tripod-like seat structure according to claim 1, comprising upwardly guided suspension bands connected with the fabric for suspending the fabric from the holding means of the cross stay.

4. A tripod-like seat structure according to claim 1, comprising upwardly guided suspension bands connected with the fabric for suspending the fabric from the holding means of the cross stay and means displaceable .and fixable on the suspension bands to permit adjustment of the length thereof.

5. A tripod-like seat structure according to claim 1, comprising a pin connecting the members of each clip and arranged on the clip members supporting the holding means for the cross stay, said pin being movable transversely to said clip members, a tensioning means for said pin and a boss for displaceably guiding the other clip members on said pin.

6. A tripod-like seat structure according to claim 1, comprising loops attachable to the rear ends of the skis and another ski pole insertable in said loops to act as bearing for the structure.

7. A tripod-like seat structure according to claim 1, comprising loops attachable to the rear ends of the skis, supports for said loops consisting of girdle-like band portions encircling the rear ends of the skis and of band portions open on top and extending transversely to the first portions, said second hand portions abutting against the rear edges of the skis and. at one connecting point extending together with the first band portions into loops.

WERNER LASCH. 

